The present invention relates to a new and improved disposable infant diaper. The diaper has improved fit about the waist and the legs of the infant.
Disposable absorbent products have been known for some time including such products as disposable diapers, incontinent pads, and the like. These products incorporate an absorbent batt which is used to absorb and hold or contain body fluids. Initially in many of these products, especially diapers and sanitary napkins, the absorbent batt comprised what is termed wadding or plies of tissue. The wadding was disposed between a liquid-impermeable backing and a liquid-permeable facing and the plies of tissue were used to absorb and hopefully contain the liquid within the product. A diaper which utilizes such an absorbent batt is disclosed in U.S. Reissue Pat. No. 26,151.
The wadding type of product was replaced for the most part by an improved absorbent batt which comprises what is termed "fluffed wood pulp fibers". This absorbent batt comprises a layer of individualized wood pulp fibers with the layer having substantial thickness. A diaper which incorporates such a fluffed wood pulp absorbent batt is described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,788,003. This diaper had improved absorbent capacity and somewhat better containment than a diaper using a wadding layer. Also, the fluffed wood pulp layer is quite soft, flexible, and conformable, and hence produces an improved diaper over diapers using wadding as the absorbent layer. Though the fluffed wood pulp absorbent batt have improved capacity diaper designs, whether they be for the infant or the adult, have followed the standard pattern of having large areas of liquid-impermeable film encompassing the torso.
When the diaper is dry, the wood pulp fluff permits the diaper to breathe to some extent. However, once the diaper is wet and the wood pulp fluff has compacted, the breathability of the diaper reaches a very low point.
Other efforts have been made to conform the diaper about the legs of the wearer to prevent leakage. Though these diapers provide no better absorbent batt than flat diapers of the prior art diapers, they have indicated improved containment of liquid. Such diapers are disclosed and described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,860,003; 4,050,462; and 4,324,245. The elasticized produces fit more tightly permitting less air circulation. Frequently, this can become irritating to the skin and the tighter the elastic or the more close fitting the diaper, the greater the irritation. This is especially true adjacent the area where the elastic leg portion of the product contacts the wearer.
The present invention provides a new and improved disposable infant diaper product whose constituency and design is specifically for an infant. This new diaper product absorbs as much urine with less leakage as present commercial diapers, and the wearer experiences less skin irritation than with previously known products.